Walton
by krendall55
Summary: Please read and review...really like some feedback


Every year is different from the one before. The students of willow high spend the last few days before the beginning of a new school year in anticipation and dread. On one hand, they hate that summer is over so soon but they are eager to discover what new things await them. Nina stood by the window of her bedroom thinking these things. She had all her stuff packed up and ready to leave for the airport. _What was taking mom so long?_ She wondered. Nina was about to begin her 10th year at willow high. It was an interesting place to be in because you weren't a junior anymore, but you weren't a senior either – not yet. She had called her best friend Teegan a few hours ago, who was dying in anticipation of what new students (read: boys) we might get this year. 'Calm down Tee, you might be disappointed' she said, but there was no calming Teegan, she was pumped and ready. 'Okay honey, let's go', Nina turned to face her mother, Vivian Yaotes. She looked like an older Nina with dark long hair and piercing green eyes. Nina went into her wardrobe to grab her coat while her mother helped with her bags. 'Is dad coming?' she asked. 'No honey, he has to get back to the office' her mom replied. She looked at her daughter's disappointed face and tried to cheer her up, 'You know he wishes he could but..', 'I know' Nina said interrupting her. Vivian kissed her daughter on the forehead and led them out of the room, bags in hand.

The airport was busy as usual with people hurrying around trying to get to their various destinations. Nina and her mom checked in her bags and breezed through all the airport protocol. Her flight didn't start boarding for another forty minutes so they decided to get something to eat at the airport food court. They sat at the table with the view of the tarmac and ordered. Vivian looked at her daughter and said smiling, 'So, are you excited?', Nina looked up at her mother 'Kinda, every year is always different. New teachers, new students, new rules' she said. 'Did teegan get there already?' she asked, Nina laughed in spite of herself, 'Yeah, I called her, she's psyched', 'I bet she is' her mother replied smiling. Like herself, her mom thought Teegan was cool. She's crazy and fun and collects weird stuff. They were polar opposites really, that's probably why they are best friends. Their order came and they ate and talked some. Finally, Nina's flight was announced to be boarding so they kissed and hugged goodbye. 'Kiss dad for me' she said. 'Okay, I love you' her mother said. 'Love you too'. Vivian stayed and watched as her daughter get on the plane, and as it take off. After it disappeared from sight, she looked around her for an exit and started towards it.

Walton High has an arrangement with its parents to pick up students from the airport for the hour long journey to its boarding quarters. Parents have to sign up their children each semester and names are checked off at arrival so that everyone is accounted for. Nina got off her two hour flight from LaForte, and started towards the exit gate. At the waiting lobby, she stopped and looked around for anyone wearing the navy blue-and-white Walton High uniform. But she spotted Mr Talmann, one of their math teachers at Walton, and started to approach him. 'Good day sir' she said as she looked around and wondered where the other students were. 'Good day Nina, the others are already on the bus, you were our last arrival' he said. 'Oh' she said and nodded as they started towards the luggage pick-up.

Walton high was a prestigious private school, not in the sense of selectivity (though it is highly regarded), but it was owned by one of the oldest catholic cathedrals in the country. Walton is located in a small town of about 10,000 people where it occupies a vast land of about 120 acres. It's a six-year boarding school, years 7 through 12 with a population of exactly 594 students.

….

Putting up her last piece of clothing in her wardrobe, Nina sighed and turned towards her friend, 'All done'. Teegan sat up from the bed she had been lying on and said 'about time, come on let's go check out the arrivals'. It was their first day of school ritual, they'd go to the lobby and watch as students arrived to the dormitory looking fresh and well-fed from a lengthy summer break. The 7th year students or 'juvies' as they called them were easy to spot. They looked the part of daddy's little girls leaving home for the first time. Their suitcases were brand new, packed with all the items they would need by their dotting mothers. It was sweet to see but Walton was going to be jungle for them their first year. Nina and Teegan watched them for a while talking about what the new school year held for them. 'I saw Elise this summer you know' Teegan said. 'where?', 'It was this event thing that I went to with my dad' she said. 'Did you talk to her?'Nina asked. 'It was weird, she seemed really excited to see me. Like I was her long lost friend'she said. Nina watched her friend's face while trying to find a reply. Teegan and Elise had been friends from elementary school, but they weren't anymore – Walton high changed all of that. Elise was really a small town girl though you wouldn't know that if you saw her. She gained popularity in Walton during her 9th year when she got in with the 'famous five (F5)'. That's what everyone calls them. Kara, Leah, Elise, Ivy, and DeeDee; together they draw Walton's attention to their antics with the teachers and more importantly the senior boys. Yeah, the mission of their group was holding the attention of one of them by whatever means necessary. Elise was their latest inductee, three semesters during which she and Teegan clashed over the F5's auditioning antics. They parted ways and avoided each other, that is, until now. 'It made me uncomfortable, the way she hugged me and smiled and everything' Teegan said. 'Well, you can talk to her about it' Nina offered. Teegan stared at her for a long time and said 'I don't think so, I don't even know why I brought it up'. They sat in silence for a while; then, 'So, did you happen to see cute guys?' Nina asked. Teegan brightened 'Yes, there were _so_ many I couldn't make up my mind'.They both burst out laughing as the overhead bell chimed for dinner.

There wasn't any dinner because it was the first day of school so all students were sent to evening study at Caldon Hall. There were actually two of them Hall I and II. Both halls housed the classrooms in a U-shaped stretch of rooms. While Hall I housed the administrative building and classrooms for years 7 to 9, Hall II housed classrooms for years 10 to 12. The U shaped halls faced each other and the classrooms ran clockwise from grades 7 to 12. By night time, the halls were illuminated by bright lights from the classroom where students chatted about their eventful summers. The chattering went to for an hour and half after which the students returned to their dorms at the sound of the bell. The dorms where a 5-minute walk for the classrooms, that is, the boys' dorm. The girls' dorm was another 5-minute walk (10 minutes total from the classroom). The dorms were located on an ascending slope of pavement which was used by pedestrians and vehicles alike. There were two dorms each for boys and girls. The dorms were differentiated by 'old dorm' and 'new dorm'. The 'old dorms' have been around since the beginning of the school (which wasn't that long). The 'new dorms' were only recently added and smelled new and fresh. The students were often conflicted about which dorm they preferred (dorms were re-assigned at the beginning of each school year). You may want the new dorm because it had new and (slightly) bigger rooms with bigger lockers and shiny bathrooms. On the other hand, the new dorm was smaller than the old dorm, which housed more people and you always wanted to stay close to where the drama is (which there was plenty of). You also liked the old dorm better because most of your friends will be assigned there. Nina and Teegan were assigned to the old dorm, so they were happy all around. Lights out came at 10pm, so they hurried off to their rooms before the housemother started making her rounds.

…

At Walton, each class was divided into sections. The criteria for making these divisions aren't entirely clear. However, Nina ended up in section A while Teegan was in section B. the first day of class was the first chance the 'old' students got to meet the 'new' students. First, these 'new' students were inspected from afar and each judged by their outward appearance before being approached for introductions. First impressions were everything so the pressure was on. Naturally, the boys were interested in the new girls and the girls were interested in the new boys. One of the new girls in Nina's section was Mal; tall and lanky with jet-black hair and pierceing gray eyes. Nina immediately liked her as they started talking. Mal had transferred from another private school in the country side (Corona high). She didn't offer a reason for leaving, so Nina didn't ask. Mal was quite impressive because Walton had a reputation for being even more selective of its transfer students. It was rumored that you had to take a marathon test and score in the 97th percentile to get accepted. Of course, the 'native' students wouldn't know if it was true or not so it remained a rumor.

There were plenty of 'new boys' in year 10. They came in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Some were tall and athletic, others were skinny and awkward-looking. But to Nina, one stood out. His name was Fabian, a very exotic-sounding name if you asked her. He was tall with jet black hair and icy blue eyes. Nina secretly thanked the heavens that he was in her section-section A. From where she sat listening to Mal, she would occasionally glance in his direction to study him. At the corner of the class, he sat with a bunch of the other boys who talked loudly, asking him about his school history. He talked, almost whispered, which was odd, Nina thought. He seemed like the quiet type.

….

At an even six feet, Fabian Thane towered over most of the boys in the 10th year, but he sat watching and listening as the group of boys around him chatted animatedly about the new school year. The discussion covered everything from soccer, video games to cars. Fabian smiled and nodded intermittently to the discussion. The jet-black hair that framed his face glistened in the sun, as it filtered in from the windows. His electrifying blue eyes were so intense they were almost scary. Just then, he turned to say something to someone, who was in Nina's line of vision. Panicking, Nina quickly turned away and busied herself with the books on her desk, wondering if he saw her. Just then, Doris Larson walked into class. Well, not walked, more like sashayed. Doris or 'DeeDee' as she liked to be called, attracted attention like a magnet wherever she was. She stood at the frame of the door for a couple of minutes while inspecting the occupants of the class, before she reached decided to journey to her seat. She smiled at the cluster of boys gathered at the corner, who watched her, fascinated, as she moved towards the end of the row. She sat right in front of Leah, her best friend, and smiled some more. Nina rolled her eyes and turned towards Mal, who raised an eyebrow in question. Nina told her about the _fabulous_ five and their generally obnoxious attitude. She tried not to sound irritated but she couldn't help it. 'You don't like them, huh' Mal asked. Nina shrugged and said, 'It's that obvious?'. Mal burst out laughing and so did Nina.

Suddenly, the bell rang, signaling the beginning of the first period. Nina turned to look at the backboard, squinting to see what their first class was. History. Nina swung either way in the case of history. For her, it really came down to who the teacher was. The teacher would tell her if it would be an interesting history class or a total bore. She and Mal turned towards their desk for their history texts just as Mr. Kaplan walked in. Nina looked up then and smiled at Mal sitting beside her. Yeah, history will totally rock.


End file.
